Different Quality Of Service Research Articles

Quality of Service and Congestion Control in Software-Defined Networking Using Policy-Based Routing

Managing queuing delays is crucial for maintaining Quality of Service (QoS) in real-time media communications. Customizing traditional routing protocols to meet specific QoS requirements—particularly in terms of minimizing delay and jitter for real-time media—can be both complex and time-intensive. Furthermore, these protocols often encounter challenges when adapted for vendor-specific hardware implementations. To address these issues, this paper leverages the programmable features of Software-Defined Networking (SDN) to simplify the process of achieving user-defined QoS, bypassing the limitations of traditional routing protocols. In this work, we propose a policy-based routing module that integrates with traditional routing protocols to ensure QoS for real-time media flows. QoS is achieved by rerouting the flow along a new low-latency path calculated by the proposed module when the queuing delay exceeds a certain threshold. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed solution significantly enhances the performance of traditional routing protocols within an SDN framework, effectively reducing the average end-to-end delay by 80% and total packet loss by 73%, while also improving jitter and alleviating network congestion.

NeSt: A QoS differentiating end-to-end networked storage simulator

The emerging high-speed storage technologies increasingly use Nonvolatile Memory Express (NVMe) protocol to meet their high throughput and low latency needs. In a datacenter environment, applications accessing multiple such devices over the fabric (i.e. the network) tend to have Quality of Service (QoS) requirements pertaining to offered throughput and experienced latency. In this paper we describe a networked storage system simulator called NeSt that supports end-to-end (E2E) QoS differentiation across multiple classes of service. This is done by conveying the class designation end to end and using it to consistently but independently apply the differentiation in each segment of the path. We demonstrate the ability of NeSt to provide end-to-end QoS differentiation under a variety of situations. To the best of our knowledge, NeSt is the first simulator of networked storage (consisting of multiple NVMe SSDs) that supports E2E QoS differentiation.

Performance analysis of joint transmission in TDD-based mm-wave networks with BS heights

Dynamic-time division duplexing (D-TDD) is used in millimeter-wave (mm-wave) networks to allocate time-frequency resources for both downlink (DL) and uplink (UL) transmissions. This scheduling mechanism adapts to varying data traffic to meet the different quality of service (QoS) requirements of heterogeneous services. However, blockage is the major bottleneck to millimeter wave (mm-Wave) networks since it causes signal outages. Moreover, the dense deployment of base stations (BSs) to reduce the signal outage problem may lead to severe interference due to solid line-of-sight (LoS) BSs. To solve the problem of less coverage, this paper utilizes a joint transmission mechanism in the DL of D-TDD-based mm-Wave networks. Further, examining the network performance also entails considering the elevation disparity between the Base Station (BS) and User Equipment (UE). The primary focus of this work is to study the effects of joint transmission in D-TDD-based DL mm-Wave networks with different BS heights and directional beamforming using the stochastic geometry framework. For D-TDD with Joint Transmission, numerical evaluations indicate that the SINR coverage probability reaches approximately 0.7 when the coverage radius (rc) is 100 m. Conversely, at a coverage radius of 200 m, the SINR coverage probability drops to around 0.25. The simulation results demonstrate using MATLAB 2019b tool, that D-TDD-based mm-Wave networks achieve superior coverage using the joint transmission scheme compared to single BS association. Besides, results show that optimal UL and DL split and load balancing are required to achieve better DL coverage.

Research on the Construction and Application of Service Quality Evaluation Models for Scenic Spots: Taking Chongqing Ciqikou as an Example

In the current environment of increasingly fierce competition in the tourism industry, service quality has become crucial for enhancing the competitiveness of scenic spots. This paper uses the SERVQUAL model to design a service quality evaluation questionnaire that captures the gap between tourists’ expectations and perceptions, using the Ciqikou Scenic Spot as a case study. Data collected from field surveys are used to comprehensively and meticulously evaluate the service quality of the Ciqikou Scenic Spot. The analysis results show that the scenic spot, with its unique folk culture experience and beautiful ecological environment, has certain advantages in terms of service quality. However, significant deficiencies exist in infrastructure and environmental hygiene. Accordingly, targeted improvement suggestions are proposed to further enhance the service quality of the Ciqikou Scenic Spot and meet the increasingly diverse and personalized needs of tourists. This study provides not only a specific service quality improvement strategy for the Ciqikou Scenic Spot but also a valuable reference for other tourist attractions.

Elevating service startup survival through strategic service quality

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to unravel the specific service quality dimensions that significantly influence startup survival, providing actionable insights for service managers and entrepreneurs.Design/methodology/approachEmpirical data were collected from 372 service startups over a period of seven years. The Cox proportional hazard model was used to analyze the data.FindingsThe results indicate that the tangible dimension of service quality emerges as the most critical determinant of startup survival. Additionally, the reliability and responsiveness of the service also significantly affect startup survival. Furthermore, the assurance and empathy dimensions have a positive, albeit modest, influence on the survival prospects of service startups.Research limitations/implicationsThis study contributes to the service literature by investigating the relative importance of each dimension of service quality in relation to the survival of service startups.Practical implicationsThe empirical findings empower service startups to make informed decisions, allocate resources judiciously and prioritize aspects of service quality that have a significant impact on their survival and success.Social implicationsThe social implications indicate the significance of service quality dimensions not only for the success of service startups but also for the overall well-being of customers, local economies and the competitive landscape of the service sector.Originality/valueThis study contributes to service science by uniquely highlighting the critical role of tangibles in startup survival, challenging conventional beliefs about the primacy of service reliability.

QACDes: QoS-aware context-sensitive design of cyber-physical systems

There is a lot of confusion and ambiguity regarding the quantification of the Quality of Service (QoS) of a system, especially for cyber-physical systems (CPS) involved in automating or controlling the operations in built environments and critical urban infrastructures, such as office buildings, factories, transportation systems, smart cities, etc. In these cases, the QoS, as experienced by human users, depends on the context in which they (i.e., humans) interact with these systems. Traditionally, the QoS of a CPS has been defined in terms of absolute metrics. Such measures are unable to take into account the variations in performance due to contextual factors arising out of different kinds of human interactions. Further, the QoS of a CPS has typically been evaluated by comparing the performance of the actual, fully realized system with the given QoS constraints only after the actual system has been completely developed. In the case of faults in the design exposed by observed deviations from the QoS constraints due to unpredicted variations in the contextual factors, the system needs to be re-designed and re-developed from scratch. Due to the above-mentioned reason, the validation approach associated with the traditional QoS makes the design of CPS systems prohibitively expensive, impractical, as well as infeasible in numerous application areas, such as civil and engineering works, since it may not be possible to modify the system once developed beyond a certain extent. To that end, we propose a context-aware definition of QoS of a CPS which facilitates the design of robust systems as elaborated below. In this paper, we define QoS as a function of contextual factors. A CPS designed according to our QoS specifications would always satisfy the QoS irrespective of any possible changes in contextual factors resulting from many different human interactions that may occur during operation of the system. We also present QACDes - a novel framework that provides a formal mechanism for validating the design of a CPS with respect to the specified QoS constraints at the design phase as well as after the realization of the actual system. QACDes can validate any given CPS, irrespective of its application domain, against a QoS guarantee: (A) as early as even before the design phase by comparing the proposed model with a baseline model, or (B) after the realization of the actual system based on logs collected from running the actual system. We consider a lighting control system that manages the light switches - switching it on/off depending on contextual factors, such as the presence of occupants and time of the day. Using the lighting control system in a building as a use case, we analyze and demonstrate the effectiveness of our QoS definition as well as the QACDes framework against the performance metric measured in an actual fully-realized CPS.

Weight assignment in cloud service selection based on FAHP and rough sets

Cloud computing is becoming the most widely used technology as the next-generation platform for conducting business. Many cloud providers offer the same functionalities, but have different quality of service (QoS) attributes. Thus the selection of cloud services, which meets the user-desired QoS requirements, has become increasingly complex. In this paper, we present a method that integrates both subjective and objective weights for evaluating the cloud services. This method is based on rough set theory and a proposed extended version of Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP) and takes into consideration the trust level associated with the experts, whose evaluations are considered in the calculation of subjective weights, and the preferences of the end user.

Towards a quantum-safe 5G: Quantum Key Distribution in core networks

The Service-Based Architecture (SBA) of the fifth generation (5G) of cellular networks introduced great advancements in flexibility, efficiency, and performance of modern networks, thanks to the distribution and softwarization of core network entities called Network Functions (NFs). Due to the distributed nature of 5G systems, these NFs are usually located in different sites to provide better Quality of Service (QoS) or specific services, which poses a great challenge regarding security. However, even though the 3GPP standard identifies security requirements by leveraging Transport Layer Security (TLS) authentication and OAuth2.0 authorization, current experimental and commercial deployments often disregard these aspects for the sake of simplicity and performance. In fact, even though data and communication protection is crucial, the implementation of security protocols and mechanisms complicates the deployments and may reduce the efficiency of 5G systems. This paper presents a novel solution that implements TLS for authentication and encryption leveraging entanglement-based Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), ensuring that all the communications between NFs in the 5G core network are secured by QKD keys, and are therefore quantum-safe. Additionally, this paper presents a QKD key repository using the Network Repository Function (NRF), which stores and relays TLS session keys to authenticated consumer NFs to access producer NFs in a fast but quantum-safe process. The solution was validated in a real hardware environment, and obtained results demonstrate that the proposed solution enhances the security of the SBA communications in an efficient way, reducing an 85% the service request time compared to the traditional TLS-based procedure, as well as 29.96% fewer bytes transmitted throughout the process.

Aspects Regard of Quality and Quality Management in Road Transport

The scientific paper presents a concrete research carried out by the author in order to implement theoretical and practical concepts of a technical-managerial nature, in which aspects of quality and quality management in the field of road vehicle transport are presented. In this way those interested can learn about quality and quality management in the knowledge-based economy, described by increased competition with direct implications for the management of the road transport organisation. The following are aspects of quality and quality management in road transport in the context of market demands and the increasing complexity of the services provided. It also deals with issues related to how the activities and services of road transport organisations are certified in terms of quality and reviews the most important ISO standards used in the certification process of the quality of specific services. The principles and functions of knowledge-based quality management in road transport are defined. They are analysed from both an economic and a knowledge perspective. At the end of the paper it is shown how to implement Total Quality Management (TQM) in a road transport organisation and the conclusions in the field are drawn.

Reinforcement Learning Based Approaches to Adaptive Context Caching in Distributed Context Management Systems

Real-time applications increasingly rely on context information to provide relevant and dependable features. Context queries require large-scale retrieval, inferencing, aggregation, and delivery of context using only limited computing resources, especially in a distributed environment. If this is slow, inconsistent, and too expensive to access context information, the dependability and relevancy of real-time applications may fail to exist. This paper argues, transiency of context (i.e., the limited validity period), variations in the features of context query loads (e.g., the request rate, different Quality of Service (QoS), and Quality of Context (QoC) requirements), and lack of prior knowledge about context to make near real-time adaptations as fundamental challenges that need to be addressed to overcome these shortcomings. Hence, we propose a performance metric driven reinforcement learning based adaptive context caching approach aiming to maximize both cost- and performance-efficiency for middleware-based Context Management Systems (CMSs). Although context-aware caching has been thoroughly investigated in the literature, our approach is novel because existing techniques are not fully applicable to caching context due to (i) the underlying fundamental challenges and (ii) not addressing the limitations hindering dependability and consistency of context. Unlike previously tested modes of CMS operations and traditional data caching techniques, our approach can provide real-time pervasive applications with lower cost, faster, and fresher high quality context information. Compared to existing context-aware data caching algorithms, our technique is bespoken for caching context information, which is different from traditional data. We also show that our full-cycle context lifecycle-based approach can maximize both cost- and performance-efficiency while maintaining adequate QoC solely based on real-time performance metrics and our heuristic techniques without depending on any previous knowledge about the context, variations in query features, or quality demands, unlike any previous work. We demonstrate using a real world inspired scenario and a prototype middleware based CMS integrated with our adaptive context caching approach that we have implemented, how realtime applications that are 85% faster can be more relevant and dependable to users, while costing 60.22% less than using existing techniques to access context information. Our model is also at least twice as fast and more flexible to adapt compared to existing benchmarks even under uncertainty and lack of prior knowledge about context, transiency, and variable context query loads.

Multidisciplinary users oriented approach in the community mental health care

Introduction For more than 25 years, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BH) has maintained and improved reform processes in the field of mental health (MH) care. In the last 13 years, the results of the reform are visible, and they focused on the quality of services oriented to people with mental disorders (PMD), as well as raising the quality of specific services to the general population. The developed network of community mental health centers (CMHC) as the leading concept of the reform (community psychiatry) enabled affordable, timely and adequate protection of mental health in whole country, while relying on other resources, primarily clinical and hospital capacities and centers for social work.ObjectivesReform orientation had several directions: broad promotion and prevention, protection of the rights of the people with mental health disorders, quality education and more specific qualifications and competencies of mental health professionals and public promotion as a part of destigmatization.MethodsOverview of the mental health reform in last two decades.Results In last more than 25 years reforming processes were focused mainly to users of mental health services. Specific legislative was created and recently upgraded trough Mental Health Protection Law, as unique document focused to users, mental health professionals and services, and general population as well. Users organization were formed and have important role in creation of further directions in the reform. Main principles in daily care for users are community based with case management and intersectoral collaboration trough joint discharge planning. Also, special focus is given to media reporting about mental health as well as to children and adolescents, prenatal psychiatry and elderly.Conclusions Republic of Srpska and Bosnia and Herzegovina made significant steps and visible changes in the quaity of mental health services focused to users needs. Further activities will be oriented to continuous destigmatization of the people with mental health disorders, psychiatry and mental health professionals and further implementation of results achieved in reforming processes in our county.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Multi-directional Robust Benefit of the Doubt model: An application to the measurement of the quality of acute care services in OECD countries

While individual metrics in evaluating healthcare quality offer in-depth insights into particular areas, they frequently fail to encompass all pertinent information. Consequently, there is a growing need to develop composite measures that comprehensively assess the overall quality or performance of specific care services, especially those not covered by official OECD measures. A novel multi-directional robust Benefit-of-the-doubt approach is proposed to measure overall acute care services quality through a composite indicator while, at the same time, highlighting the potential improvement directions for each single component indicator. First, an approach based on simulated data has been carried out to better describe the advantages of the proposed approach, and then the methodology has been applied to country-level OECD data drawn from the Healthcare Quality and Outcomes programme.

DETERMINANTS OF SERVICE QUALITY FACTORS AND PARENT SATISFACTION IN CHILDCARE CENTRE


 
 
 
 This study delves into the intricate dynamics of Malaysian childcare centres, focusing specifically on the elements that contribute to service quality and, ultimately, parental satisfaction. The research seeks to understand the underlying connections and impacts of various factors on parent satisfaction, excluding the aspect of educational leadership. With potential adverse outcomes from poor service quality, such as suboptimal child development and parental stress, this study aims to identify the key factors that enhance service experiences in early childhood settings. Adopting a quantitative approach, the study utilizes a causal research design to explore the relationships between various service quality elements and parent satisfaction. A comprehensive survey method was employed, offering a cross- sectional snapshot of opinions from parents with children in Malaysian childcare services. The study's design ensures precision in testing hypotheses, with findings analysed using advanced statistical tools like SPSS and PLS-SEM. The hypothesis testing reveals interesting insights. It shows the rejection of certain assumed direct impacts of basic facilities, curriculum, and program structure on parent satisfaction. However, other factors emerged as significant in shaping parental perceptions. Notably, the study found that specific service quality factors, particularly in the domain of student interactions, play a crucial role in determining parent satisfaction. The research methodology included a pilot study in Kota Bahru, Kelantan, for preliminary validation of the survey instruments. Purposive sampling selected 318 parents from various childcare centres, ensuring a relevant and focused sample. The findings indicate that while some service quality aspects may not directly influence parent satisfaction, others are crucial. The study’s implications are significant for policy and practice in early childhood education, emphasizing the enhancement of specific service quality factors as a strategy to uplift parent satisfaction in Malaysian childcare centres. This research adds an important dimension to the understanding of service quality and parent satisfaction in the context of early childhood education.
 
 
 

A Comparative Study of Quality of Service (QoS) Metrics in Reactive Routing Protocols DSR and AODV in Manet

This study is based on the analysis of specific Quality of Service (QoS) metrics. The acquisition of these metrics was carried out by modifying codes in C++ language within the Ns3 network simulation software. The choice of the Random Way Point mobility model contributed to the generation of metrics, which were subsequently used in the evaluation and comparison of two selected protocols, DSR and AODV. These evaluations focused on critical parameters such as Throughput, Delay, and Jitter. To conduct meaningful comparisons, three different scenarios were designed, each characterized by the variation in the number of nodes used. This approach allowed for a comprehensive assessment of the protocols' effectiveness in different MANET network configurations. Ultimately, the selection of the most accurate protocols was based on a detailed analysis of metrics in various MANET scenarios. This process provided a deeper understanding of how DSR and AODV perform in specific environments, enabling the identification of more effective protocols according to the particular demands of each scenario.

Resource allocation in vehicular network based on sparrow search algorithm and hyper-graph in the presence of multiple cellular users

PurposeSince the performance of vehicular users and cellular users (CUE) in Vehicular networks is highly affected by the allocated resources to them. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the resource allocation for vehicular communications when multiple V2V links and a V2I link share spectrum with CUE in uplink communication under different Quality of Service (QoS).Design/methodology/approachAn optimization model to maximize the V2I capacity is established based on slowly varying large-scale fading channel information. Multiple V2V links are clustered based on sparrow search algorithm (SSA) to reduce interference. Then, a weighted tripartite graph is constructed by jointly optimizing the power of CUE, V2I and V2V clusters. Finally, spectrum resources are allocated based on a weighted 3D matching algorithm.FindingsThe performance of the proposed algorithm is tested. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm can maximize the channel capacity of V2I while ensuring the reliability of V2V and the quality of service of CUE.Originality/valueThere is a lack of research on resource allocation algorithms of CUE, V2I and multiple V2V in different QoS. To solve the problem, one new resource allocation algorithm is proposed in this paper. Firstly, multiple V2V links are clustered using SSA to reduce interference. Secondly, the power allocation of CUE, V2I and V2V is jointly optimized. Finally, the weighted 3D matching algorithm is used to allocate spectrum resources.

Joint MCS Adaptation and RB Allocation in Cellular Networks Based on Deep Reinforcement Learning With Stable Matching

Joint modulation-coding scheme (MCS) adaptation and resource block (RB) allocation is an effective approach to guarantee different quality of service (QoS) requirements of all UEs under dynamic network environments. In this paper, we consider a fifth generation (5 G) cellular network with time-varying wireless channels, in which the BS serves multiple user equipments (UEs) under limited available RBs. We aim to minimize the total RB consumption subject to the rigorous constraints of each UE's QoS requirement. To attain this objective, this paper puts forth an online learning technique, referred to as integrated Deep Reinforcement learning and stable Matching (DeepRM), in the sense that the MCS adaptation and RB allocation decisions are conducted without acquiring the real-time channel quality indicator (CQI) feedback. DeepRM is a closed-loop framework, where the output of deep reinforcement learning (DRL) is imported into the stable matching to guide optimal RB allocation whilst the output of stable matching is fed into the DRL framework to assist efficient MCS decision-making. Specifically, in DeepRM, we first develop a powerful DRL algorithm, termed as Action-and-Reward Branching Deep Q-network (ARBDQ), by incorporating the action branch architecture into conventional DRL and modifying the traditional deep neural network training mechanism, to perform judicious MCS decisions on different links in parallel. Then, a new many-to-one stable matching algorithm, called adaptive deferred acceptance, is exploited to dynamically adjust the RB quota of each UE in a computationally efficient fashion. Simulation results demonstrate that compared with ACO-HM, OLLA-ADA, and ARBDQ-Random algorithms, DeepRM induces much less RB consumption while guaranteeing the QoS requirements of all UEs in various network scenarios. Furthermore, under miscellaneous QoS requirement, number of UEs, and CQI reporting period setups, DeepRM is more robust than other baselines.

RED-SP-CoDel: Random early detection with static priority scheduling and controlled delay AQM in programmable data planes

Emerging network application paradigms, such as the Tactile Internet, re-emphasize the need for different Quality of Service (QoS) levels. Due to the large packet buffers in the underlying network data plane, Active Queue Management (AQM) is generally required to curtail packet latencies for flows requiring high QoS levels. At the same time, programmable data planes, such as P4, enable packet processing at line-speed, albeit with limited packet processing functionalities. However, the existing AQM mechanisms that support QoS differentiation are too complex to readily run on P4, while the existing AQM mechanisms that run on P4 do generally not support effective QoS differentiation. We address this gap by developing to the best of our knowledge the first AQM mechanism that supports effective QoS differentiation while running on P4. Specifically, we propose SP-CoDel, which combines the well-known Controlled Delay (CoDel) AQM mechanism with Static Priority (SP) scheduling for QoS differentiation. Also, we propose RED-SP-CoDel, which adds a RED AQM component to SP-CoDel so as to make the AQM with priorities essentially parameterless. As a community resource contribution, we substantially extend the existing P4Simulator to the novel fused P4-NS3 Simulator so as to enable the evaluation of packet processing mechanisms through the combined functionalities of P4 device emulation and NS3 packet simulation. Evaluations conducted with the P4 reference switch model in the P4-NS3 Simulator indicate that SP-CoDel and RED-SP-CoDel provide high QoS to high-priority data streams, i.e., significantly reduce latency and packet loss compared to CoDel, while effectively mitigating bufferbloat.

Mitigating the impact of controller failures on QoS robustness for software-defined wide area networks

Emerging cloud services and applications pose different Quality of Service (QoS) requirements for the network, where Software-Defined Wide Area Networks (SD-WANs) play a crucial role in QoS provisioning by introducing network programmability into network flows to enable dynamic flow routing and ensure low data transmission latency for these applications. However, controller failures may happen in SD-WANs, and all programmable flows that the failed controller previously controlled will become offline and lose the network programmability, resulting in the degradation of QoS. Existing control recovery solutions propose to remap offline switches/flows to available active controllers but cannot promise good recovery performance due to the following two problems: (1) the recovery performance suffers from either coarse-grained remapping granularity or introducing extra processing delays, and (2) QoS robustness cannot be guaranteed in the design of recovery solution. To this end, we propose Predator, a QoS-aware network programmability recovery scheme that utilizes the P4 Runtime enabled by existing P4 switches to achieve fine-grained per-flow remapping without introducing extra delays. Specifically, our proposed Predator categorizes flows based on their QoS requirements and smartly recovers offline flows based on their priorities to guarantee the QoS robustness for high-priority flows. Simulation results under real-world topology demonstrate that our proposed Predator can improve the recovered network programmability of high-priority flows by up to 505.5%, and substantially reduce the communication overhead of high-priority flows, compared with baselines.

Co-evolutionary and Elite learning-based bi-objective Poor and Rich Optimization algorithm for scheduling multiple workflows in the cloud

Cloud computing is a cost-effective environment for deploying large-scale scientific applications. However, multi-workflow scheduling has great challenge since users may request a series of applications with different Quality of Service (QoS) at the same time. In this paper, a Co-evolutionary and Elite learning-based bi-objective Poor and Rich Optimization algorithm (CE-PRO) is proposed for scheduling applications to minimize the makespan and cost of each workflow. First, an MPMO framework is combined with PRO to optimize two objectives by two populations, respectively for better balancing the search diversity and convergence speed, where each population is updated by an improved PRO, which adopts the middle-class sub-population and re-defines the update mechanism for rich individuals to enhance search diversity and reduce the possibility of falling into local optima. Second, to restrain each population focusing overly on its respective objective, a global information exchange pool is innovatively designed to save the non-dominated solutions ever found, which will be used back as the shared guiding solutions to foster inter-population communication and co-evolution during an evolutionary process. Third, a hybrid mutation-based Elite Enhancement Strategy (EES) is developed by introducing multiple scales of mutation operations into elite solutions alternatively and iteratively to exploit excellent individuals and explore more trade-off solutions. Extensive experiments are conducted on real world scientific workflows with different types and scales, and the experimental results demonstrate that in most cases, our proposed CE-PRO outperforms its peers in the number of obtained non-dominated solutions, and the solution diversity and quality as well. In particular, the dominance of CE-PRO is superior to its peers by at least 25.62%.

Service Quality Preferences Among Customers at Islamic Banks in South Africa

Purpose: The objective of this study is to investigate the service quality preferences of Muslim customers considering demographic factors, specifically gender preferences. Theoretical framework: This study is guided by the dimensions in the SERVQUAL model including an additional dimension related to ‘compliance’ from the Carter Model. Design/Methodology/Approach: A quantitative, cross-sectional study was carried out to examine the preferences of customers concerning service quality at Islamic banks in South Africa. The data was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings: The findings from the study show that ‘convenient operating times’, ‘providing prompt service to customers’, ‘having records that are accurate and without errors’, ‘staff keep to promises when timeframes are given regarding services to be complete’, ‘keeping customer information confidential’ ‘staff having the best interest of customers in mind’ and finally ‘the Islamic bank does not take interest on loans given’ are the most important items for both males and females regarding the various dimensions of service quality. The reported results also show no significant difference when it comes to service quality preferences between males and females. Research, Practical & Social implications: The results of this study have several practical implications. Firstly, Islamic banks can increase their market share by tailoring the quality of their service offerings to align with customer preferences. Secondly, Islamic banks should include as part of their advertising campaigns, the specific service quality offering most appealing to customers. Lastly, initiatives towards improving service quality should not be directed to a specific gender, rather initiatives must be inclusive of all customers, as the results of this study found no difference in service quality preferences regarding gender. Originality/Value: This is the first study to consider the role of gender concerning service quality preferences by customers of Islamic banks in South Africa.